A History and Annotated Account of the Benthic Marine Algae of Taiwan

Abstract:

Records of the benthic marine algae of the Island of Taiwan and neighboring islands have been organized in a floristic listing. All publications with citations of benthic marine green algae (Chlorophyta), brown algae (Phaeophyta), and red algae (Rhodophyta) in Taiwan are systematically arranged under the currently accepted nomenclature for each species. The annotated list includes names of almost 600 taxa, of which 476 are recognized today. In comparing the three major groups, the red algae predominate with 55% of the reported species, the green algae comprise 24%, and the browns 21%. Laurencia brongniartii J. Agardh is herein reported for Taiwan for the first time.
The history of modern marine phycology in the Taiwan region is reviewed. Three periods of phycological research are recognized: the western (1866-1905); Japanese (1895-1945); and Chinese (1950-present). Western phycologists have apparently overlooked the large body of Japanese studies, which included references and records of Taiwan algae.
By bringing together in one place all previous records of the Taiwanese marine flora, it is our expectation that this work will serve as a basis for further phycological investigations in the western Pacific region.